Head-to-head comparison
Arkansas Northeastern College vs Career Academy of Hair Design: which has better ROI?
Option A Blytheville, AR
Arkansas Northeastern College
- Net price / year
- $5,375
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,169
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Springdale, AR
Career Academy of Hair Design
- Net price / year
- $12,728
- Earnings, 10 years
- $21,567
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Arkansas Northeastern College comes closer — median earnings $33,169 against a $21,500 total, vs $21,567 at Career Academy of Hair Design. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Arkansas Northeastern College | Career Academy of Hair Design |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,375 | $12,728 |
| Total net cost | $21,500 | $50,912 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $33,169 | $21,567 |
| Median debt | — | $6,365 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$325,320 | -$586,772 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Arkansas Northeastern College or Career Academy of Hair Design?
Arkansas Northeastern College, at $5,375 a year after aid versus $12,728 — a gap of $7,353 a year, or $29,412 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Arkansas Northeastern College or Career Academy of Hair Design graduates earn more?
Arkansas Northeastern College graduates report a median $33,169 ten years after entry, $11,602 more than the $21,567 at Career Academy of Hair Design. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
73% of students finish at Career Academy of Hair Design, against 49% at Arkansas Northeastern College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.